


Birthday

by Adventures_in_Writing



Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: Carwash siblings AU, Gen, Siblings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-22
Updated: 2015-03-22
Packaged: 2018-03-19 01:26:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3591153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Adventures_in_Writing/pseuds/Adventures_in_Writing
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There was one day of her childhood that stood out amongst all the others, it was one of the best and yet, one of the worst. It was the last good memory she had of her family. It was the last good day they had as a family.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Birthday

**Author's Note:**

> RvB Prompt: Carwash sibling au where the Director actually does something nice for them.
> 
> I'd written this a while ago, but was anxious about sharing.

Their fifteenth birthday was coming up soon and their mother had gone away again. She was away often. In fact, she was away more than she was home. Carolina and her twin brother, David, didn’t usually mind too much though; Allison never really left, she just wasn’t around and would be returning soon.  
  
“Why is Mom never around on our birthday?” David asked. It had been something he’d been thinking of for years, but never had the courage to bring up.  
  
“She’s just busy, Dave,” Carolina said. “You know she goes on a lot of business trips.”  
  
“But you’d think she could, you know, come see us on our birthday at least once.”  
  
“Dave,” Carolina warned. Today was not the day to complain about this. Today was a day to celebrate with each other and think about good things.  
  
“Linaaaaaaaa,” David whined.  
  
“Don’t be a baby,” Carolina retorted. She paused and put on a cutesy tone, “Awwww, does the little baby need his Mommy?”  
  
“Hey!”  
  
“All right you two,” Leonard said tersely, “Stop bickering. I was going to give this to you a little later on however I feel that now might be a good time.”  
  
Leonard didn’t like hearing his children complain. He didn’t like seeing them unhappy. He had anticipated this sort of thing and was surprised the discussion hadn’t happened sooner. As the twins grew older, there had always been something missing on their birthday. As young children, saying that Allison was away on a business trip was enough. Now that they were older, they could question it and start to form their own conclusions. It had taken Leonard a long while to find a solution to the problem.  
  
“Go take a seat on the lounge. I’ll be there in a minute.”  
  
Leonard went to his office. It was the only area in the house that David and Carolina were never allowed into which meant it was the only place to keep a secret. He sorted through a stack of CD’s, found the one he was after and took it from the rack. On his way out, he stopped at an old filing cabinet, pulled it open and took out a black rectangular box with a teal green and grey bow on it. This was only one small part of his gift for his children and he had wanted to save it for later but, as he had said, now seemed like a good time.  
With a smile to himself, he left the office and returned to the lounge.  
  
“What is it? What is it?” David asked excitedly. He was always more expressive than his slightly older (by five minutes!) sister. Her demeanour was cool and collected even though she was curious to know what was in the box.  
  
“You’ll have to open it and find out,” Leonard said, handing the present to the both of them. “Open it together.”  
  
With practiced ease, Carolina and David took hold of the box and pulled off the ribbon. They had been opening gifts together all their lives. This one seemed special though. It had been years since their parents had given them a combined gift. David seemed to have the same sense of wonder that Carolina did; they both carefully took the lid from the box and peered inside.  
“A book?” Carolina asked skeptically. That wasn’t what she had been expecting.  
  
“No…” David said, taking it from the gift box. “It’s an album.”  
  
Leonard took a seat on the arm of the lounge, carefully watching as Carolina set aside the box and David placed the album across their laps. He was suddenly nervous. Leonard had been so sure that they would like the present but now he wasn’t so sure.  
  
“Together,” Carolina whispered. David gave a small nod and together they opened the cover.  
  
Photos. Photos of them, photos of their father, photos of their mother. All smiling. Happy. Sometimes together, sometimes not, but always happy. Laughing. Memories. Good memories.  
  
Leonard watched the faces of his children as they flipped through the book. Their eyes were wide with surprise, perhaps wonder as well. They seemed to enjoy it though. Happiness swelled inside of him. His gift had been a good idea.  
  
“Hey…I remember that picture,” David said. “We went to the airport to wave goodbye to Mom.”  
  
“Oh yeah…how old were we? Like nine? You refused to let go of her leg,” Carolina laughed.  
  
“Shut up. You were crying too!”  
  
“Oh man! And this picture—”  
  
Leonard went to the DVD player and put the disc in.  
  
“This is part of your present too,” he announced as he pressed play, “Though I suppose this one might be for all of us.”  
  
Allison’s smiling face appeared on the TV. She was dressed neatly in her business attire, her makeup finished all nicely, her blonde hair up in a tidy bun. It seemed as though she was just getting ready to leave again.  
  
“Is it recording?”  
  
“Yes, Allison, say something.”  
  
She laughed and her eyes crinkled at the corners, “Oh no, Leo, I can’t think of what to say!”  
  
Leonard chuckled, “Well, this is a video for Dave and Lina’s birthday, perhaps you can say hello?”  
  
“All right. I should have written something earlier.” She straightened herself up, and the bright smile never left her face. She seemed embarrassed to be in front of the camera but she did her best. “Hello Davey and Liney. Oh my goodness I haven’t called you that in years. Well…happy fifteenth birthday! Look, I even have a ribbon on for the occasion,” she held up her wrist and brought it closer to the camera. On it was tied the aqua and grey ribbon that had been tied around the gift box.  
  
“I’m sorry I can’t be there for your birthday. I really wish I could be. Leo wanted me to make a video to give to you because I couldn’t be there, so…here’s the video! I hope you both have a wonderful day celebrating with your father. Make him have a piece of cake for me too, hmm? No fighting at the dinner table, and Lina, don’t bully your little brother. Dave, don’t let Lina push you around. Oh, and remember to make a wish when you blow out the candles. Kisses for you both.” Allison blew two kisses to the camera before covering her face in mild embarrassment.  
  
“Look out for each other, okay?” She glanced at the clock, “Oh! my goodness, I’m going to be late! Be good, you two! And just one last little thing. Carolina, David…Leonard,” Allison said their names with such fondness, her smile was loving and her voice soft. “I love you.”  
  
When the picture cut off, Leonard turned towards his children.  
“Happy birthday,” he said with a smile.

  
Carolina and David scrambled up from their seats on the lounge to give him a hug.  
  
“This is the best present ever!” David exclaimed, “Of all time!”  
  
“Thank you,” Carolina said, her voice strained. She was a big girl, and big girls do not cry. Even if its because this was the best present she could have asked for.


End file.
